Department for Transport

Tyres

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent of the practice undertakenby some bus, HGV and other large vehicle fleet operators tosubstitute tyres that are not compliant with legal requirements with compliant tyres for the purpose of inspections; and what proposals they have to address that practice.

lord callanan: To ensure that vehicles on the roads are safe, legal and roadworthy, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carries out two types of vehicle inspections to identify if the vehicle meets the legal requirements for mechanical condition, which includes an assessment of the condition of the tyres: (1) Annual roadworthiness inspections (MOTs), which are pre-arranged. The statistics for 2015/16 show that the MOT pass rates for large vehicles are high:Heavy Goods Vehicles - 89%Buses, Public Service Vehicles & Coaches - 92%Trailers - 91% (2) Nationwide intelligence-led targeted inspections and daily roadsidespot checks, which are conducted on vehicles where the operator anddriver are unaware that the vehicle is to be inspected. In 2015/16, DVSA conducted the following number of Great Britain roadside mechanical checks, and the number of vehicles found to have 1 or more defects relating to tyres were low: Vehicle type:Number of roadside checks conducted in 2015/16:% of vehicles found to have 1 or more defects relating to tyresHeavy Goods Vehicles29,0304%Buses, Public Service Vehicles & Coaches8,4852.1%Trailers10,4616.2% There is a lack of statistical evidence to date to support the claim that some bus, HGV and other large vehicle fleet operators are substituting tyres that are not compliant with legal requirements, with compliant tyres for the purpose of inspections. However, all inspection outcomes and vehicle defects are recorded and assessed by DVSA on an individual operator basis. All non-compliant operators are then targeted for further enforcement action either at the roadside or by carrying out an inspection at the operator’s premises, which can be an unannounced visit. The Department first issued guidance in 2013, which was subsequently updated, most recently in October 2016, recommending tyres over 10 years old should not be fitted to front steering axles, but only at the rear on twin wheels. A year after the guidance was published, a further survey of older Public Service Vehicles (PSV) was carried out by DVSA. This survey indicated a reduction in the average age of tyres fitted in the PSV fleet and demonstrated widespread compliance with the advice.

Home Office

Adoption

lord eatwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which circumstances the Home Office differentiates between adopted and natural children for (1) immigration purposes, and (2) other purposes.

baroness williams of trafford: Where an adoption has taken place under UK law, or in accordance with laws that are recognised as lawful in the UK, adopted children are not treated differently to biological children by the Home Office for immigration or other purposes.

Fracking: Protest

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether chief police officers can apply for additional funding to cover the opportunity costs of officers being present at an anti-fracking protest, rather than doing regular community policing duties, or whether such additional funding only covers costs such as unusual overtime and mutual aid.

baroness williams of trafford: Special Grant funding only covers additional costs. In general this may include staff overtime, mutual aid and rest day working costs. Vehicle or equipment hire costs may also be claimed. Detailed guidance on Special Grant funding is on the Government website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-funding-special-grant-guidance/special-grant-guidance#home-office-guidance-for-special-grant-funding

Immigration

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the probability of reducing non-UK net migration to the tens of thousands prior to Brexit.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government remains committed to bringing net migration down to sustainable levels. It will take time to achieve this. We will manage reforms to the immigration system responsibly so that it continues to serve the national interest.

Visas: Married People

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyPublic statement: relationship no longer subsisting forms werereceived by the Home Office in each month since 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is unable to provide the data requested.

Visas: Married People

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) arrests, and (2) deportations, have arisen from Public statement: relationship no longer subsistingforms that have been received by the Home Office since 2016.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office is unable to provide the data requested.

Borders: Security

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of how border security can be ensured without the use of paper-based international travel cards.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK operates a secure border. All passengers arriving on scheduled services from outside of the Common Travel Area must satisfactorily establish their identity and nationality to allow a decision to be taken on their eligibility for entry to the UK. Travel documents and ID cards are currently the internationally accepted means for doing this. Documents which also contain a biometric chip are regarded as more secure than paper-based documents alone as the chip allows a more accurate reconciliation of the individual to the document. There are no current plans to operate our border controls without the use of a document or card.

Borders: Security

baroness smith of basildon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the risks to border security of dual nationals using international passenger survey or paper-based landing cards listing only a single nationality.

baroness williams of trafford: There is no requirement for a passenger to declare their dual nationality status on arrival to the United Kingdom. A Border Force officer will examine the document a passenger chooses to present on arrival and complete the mandatory checks outlined in the Border Force Operating Mandate. A Border Force officer will only grant entry to a passenger once they have satisfactorily established their nationality, identity and immigration status in the UK and that they do not pose a security risk.

Immigration: Fees and Charges

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of fees set by the Home Office for settlement checking services at local councils were (1) retained by local councils, and (2) retained by the Home Office, in each month since 2010.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not set the fee for the settlement checking service or retain any part of it. These fees are set and kept locally by individual local authorities under their wellbeing provisions.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Nuclear Power

lord grantchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure the maintenance and timely replacement of the nuclear power element of the UK’s electricity production.

lord prior of brampton: The Government recognises the important role of nuclear in our energy mix. Last September we signed a deal to build the first new nuclear plant in the UK for over 20 years. Hinkley Point C will provide 3.2 gigawatts low carbon electricity for 60 years, meeting around 7% of the UK’s electricity needs. Further, on 12 October the Government published its Clean Growth Strategy, which committed continuing to work with nuclear developers on their new build proposals, including on financing plans, as well as investing £460 million in nuclear to support work in areas including future nuclear fuels, new nuclear manufacturing techniques, recycling and reprocessing, and advanced reactor design. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is also working with industry to develop a nuclear Sector Deal as part of the Industrial Strategy, looking at boosting competitiveness and skills across the sector.

Utilities

lord moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) consumer protections, (2) redress schemes, (3) requirements to provide information and (4) requirements to treat consumers fairly currently exist in UK law in relation to third-party intermediaries which offer water and energy services to consumers, including under the retail exit programme for water companies.

lord prior of brampton: In energy the Confidence Code is a Code of Practice to govern independent energy price comparison websites. Ofgem accredits sites to the Code and these must follow key principles in order to operate their service. When customers are presented with options and prices, they have been calculated and are displayed in a fair and unbiased way.Accredited price comparison websites must operate an effective complaints process. If a customer has a complaint, they should first contact the comparison site to tell them so that they can try to resolve it. If a customer is not satisfied with the outcome, they can then contact Ofgem who will then investigate the issue.The business retail water market opened in April. Third party intermediaries such as water brokers play an important role in supporting many customers in finding the best deal for their business. The marketing activities of such intermediaries operating in the water market, as with intermediaries generally, are subject to regulation. The Competition and Markets Authority and trading standard authorities have roles in ensuring that customers are not misled when switching to alternative suppliers. The ‘Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008’ apply to marketing activities in the water retail market.Ofwat acts as the independent economic regulator of the new market. The Retail Exits Regulations required Ofwat to introduce a code to apply to customers who are transferred via an exit setting out the contract terms that will apply. Additionally all retailers must follow Ofwat’s customer protection code of practice that contains key customer protection obligations, including a requirement for retailers to obtain written confirmation from customers who choose to use the services of a third party intermediary.

Electricity: Fees and Charges

lord donoughue: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to electricity costs, what they estimate the percentage increase will be for Balancing Services Use of System charges between (1) now and 2020, and (2) now and 2030; and what proportion of these increases will be attributable to efforts to connect renewable energy sources to the national grid.

lord donoughue: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to electricity costs, what they estimate the percentage increase will be forDistribution Services Use of Systemcharges between (1) now and 2020, and (2) now and 2030; and what proportion of these increases will be attributable to efforts to connect renewable energy sources to the national grid.

lord donoughue: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in relation to electricity costs, what they estimate the percentage increase will be forTransmission Network Use of Systemcharges between (1) now and 2020, and (2) now and 2030; and what proportion of these increases will be attributable to efforts to connect renewable energy sources to the national grid.

lord prior of brampton: Transmission, distribution and balancing charges are set by network companies in line with the charging methodologies approved by Ofgem, as the independent regulator.Network companies also produce some future estimates of these charges. These include National Grid’s forecasts of Transmission Network Use of System charges for 2018/19 to 2021/22 (available at: http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Industry-information/System-charges/Electricity-transmission/Approval-conditions/Condition-5/) and Balancing Services Use of System charges to 2018/19 (available at: http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Industry-information/Electricity-transmission-operational-data/Report-explorer/Services-Reports/). These forecasts are not broken down to show renewable energy sources.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Brexit on the EU Emissions Trading System.

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on UK operators covered by the EU Emissions Trading System if the UK were to exit the EU Emissions Trading System before the end of phase 3 of the system in 2020.

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are takingto avoid penalties for non-compliance being levied against UK operators in the event that the UK exits the EU Emissions Trading System before the end of phase 3 of the system in 2020.

lord prior of brampton: The Government is considering carefully the potential impacts of a wide range of EU Exit scenarios relating to the EU ETS, both on the system itself and on UK operators covered by the system. This includes consideration of the risks that a mid-Phase exit of the EU ETS could present for UK operators. To ensure a smooth transition and avoid a cliff edge on withdrawal, the UK has proposed to the EU an implementation period of about two years where we would continue to have access to each other’s markets on current terms. We are calling for this to be agreed as early as possible to provide clarity.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toprovide UK operators covered by the EU Emissions Trading System with certainty on the future of the UK’s participation in the System, both for the remainder of the current phase and the upcoming phase 4, as well as on domestic carbon pricing and carbon trading policy.

lord prior of brampton: As the Clean Growth Strategy sets out, the Government is considering the UK’s future participation in the EU ETS after our exit from the EU, and we remain firmly committed to carbon pricing as an emissions reduction tool whilst ensuring energy and trade intensive businesses are appropriately protected from any detrimental impacts on competitiveness. Whatever our future relationship with the EU, we will seek to ensure that our future approach is at least as ambitious as the existing scheme and provide a smooth transition for the relevant sectors. The UK’s commitment and leadership role in tackling climate change remains undimmed and working closely with the EU on this global challenge will remain important.

Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme

lord laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what was the cost ofthe Renewable Heat Incentive scheme in Great Britainin each of the last four years; (2)what is the budget for the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme subsidy payments for the next six years; (3) why a cap was introduced in 2016; and (4) at what cost level it is pegged.

lord prior of brampton: Data on payments from the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) schemes are given in the table below.YearDomestic RHINon-domestic RHITotal13/140£54m£54m14/15£23m£148m£171m15/16£77m£296m£373m16/17£92m£454m£546mBased on data to end Aug 2017 In November 2015, the Government confirming a continued budget for the RHI to 2020/21, as set out in the table below. A budget cap allowing the scheme to be closed to new applications was introduced to reinforce existing cost control mechanisms within the RHI, to ensure that scheme expenditure does not exceed the allocated annual budgets. 16/1717/1818/19 19/2020/21Budget £640m £780m £900m £1010m £1150m

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Commonwealth: Human Rights

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to raise the issue of human rights at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 October 2017.The correct answer should have been:

We are engaging with the Commonwealth Secretariat, other member states and organisations from across the Commonwealth to agree an agenda for next year's Heads of Government meeting. In this respect papers have been circulated on five four key pillars on which the agenda may be progressed. These are prosperity (trade), sustainability, security and fairness. The final pillar of fairness is (subject to agreement with member states and the secretariat) provides substan​tial scope for the important issue of human rights to be raised.The Government believes that the Commonwealth is a force for good around the world, through its promotion of freedom, democracy, and human rights as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. The UK-hosted 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will encourage all Commonwealth members to uphold these values.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are engaging with the Commonwealth Secretariat, other member states and organisations from across the Commonwealth to agree an agenda for next year's Heads of Government meeting. In this respect papers have been circulated on five four key pillars on which the agenda may be progressed. These are prosperity (trade), sustainability, security and fairness. The final pillar of fairness is (subject to agreement with member states and the secretariat) provides substan​tial scope for the important issue of human rights to be raised.The Government believes that the Commonwealth is a force for good around the world, through its promotion of freedom, democracy, and human rights as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. The UK-hosted 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will encourage all Commonwealth members to uphold these values.

North Korea: Diplomatic Relations

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries have downgraded or severed diplomatic relations with North Korea over the past two months; and what assessment they have made of the UK’s diplomatic relationship with North Korea.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The following countries have downgraded diplomatic relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the last two months: Egypt, Italy, Kuwait, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.  In the light of the repeated violations of UN Security Council Resolutions, we keep our bilateral relations with DPRK under constant review. At present, we judge that it is better to have open channels of communication where we can, especially in view of our presence in Pyongyang. This enables us to deliver tough messages directly to the regime.

North Korea: Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findingcontained inthe UN Report of the Commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, published on 7 February 2014, that crimes against humanity have been committed in North Korea; and whether they intend to discuss with Michael Kirby, Chair of the Commission, the non-implementation of the recommendation contained in that report that the Security Council should refer the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is fully committed to the principle that there must be no impunity for the most serious international crimes, such as those documented by the Commission of Inquiry as taking place in North Korea . In principle, the International Criminal Court (ICC) could be an appropriate forum to hold North Korea to account for its behaviour, but the ICC can only take action when a war crime or crime against humanity is suspected to have been committed in or by a country which is party to the Rome Statute, or when a situation is referred to them by the UN Security Council. North Korea is not a party to the Rome Statute. As we have seen with Syria, it can be difficult to achieve a referral when a country is not a signatory to the ICC. We welcome the Human Rights Council resolution in March 2017 which provides the basis for further work on a credible framework for accountability.

Department for Education

Students: Disability

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government where a disabled student can find information about legally required levels of support available in higher education institutions.

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government where higher education institutions can find a definitive guide to their legal duties and responsiblities to disabled students.

viscount younger of leckie: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published an ‘easy read’ for students of higher and further education that explains the rights students have under the Equality Act 2010 and gives clear, specific advice for disabled students. This can be found in the attached Annex A or via the following link: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/your-rights-if-you-are-further-or-higher-education-easy-read. The EHRC also provides comprehensive advice on its website regarding disabled people’s rights when using a service. Further information can be found at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/guidance-service-users. The Disabled Students’ Sector Leadership Group’s (DSSLG) ‘Inclusive Teaching’ guidance aims to share practical approaches and interventions to developing inclusive practice in higher education, and makes helpful suggestions for a strategic approach to making ‘reasonable adjustments’ under the Equality Act 2010. Further information is available in the attached Annex B or via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-teaching-and-learning-in-higher-education.The Office of the Independent Adjudicator in Higher Education (OIA) has published a framework for complaints and academic appeals. It recently held a public consultation on supporting disabled students, which makes particular reference to removing obstacles to learning for all disabled students. The OIA plans to issue revised guidance shortly. Other groups such as that National Union of Students also publish advice for disabled students: https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/liberation/disabled-students. A detailed guidance document on ‘What Equality Law Means for You as an Education Provider’ is available from the EHRC via the attached Annex C as well as via the below link: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/what-equality-law-means-you-education-provider-wales. The Government has published general guidance on the Equality Act at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equality-act-2010-guidance. This is supported by further specific guidance to higher education providers (HEPs) regarding their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, which is published by the EHRC at: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/higher-education-providers-guidance. The Equality Challenge Unit, which has a specific role to support equality and diversity for staff and students in HEPs across the UK, also publishes specific advice for providers. This includes guidance on accessibility on campus to help providers understand barriers created by the physical environment, and how to alleviate them: http://www.ecu.ac.uk/guidance-resources/inclusive-environment/accessible-campus/.



Annex A
(PDF Document, 248.78 KB)




Annex B
(PDF Document, 761.71 KB)




Annex C
(PDF Document, 588.2 KB)

Disabled Students' Allowances

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how a student entitled to Disabled Students' Allowance can ensure that thehigher education institution at which they are studying fulfils its support equality duties sufficiently to allow them to benefit fully from that allowance, before they start attending the institution.

viscount younger of leckie: Higher education students eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) should contact the disability advisor at their higher education provider (HEP) to discuss what support is available to them alongside that available through DSAs. If students are not satisfied with what is available from their HEPs they should seek to resolve this through internal complaints procedures; if they remain not satisfied they can ask the Office of the Independent Adjudicator to review their complaints.

Disabled Students' Allowances: Dyslexia

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government why students with previously assessed dyslexia have to undergo a second assessment before becoming entitled to Disabled Students' Allowance when students with other disabilities do not.

viscount younger of leckie: Diagnostic assessments for Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) conducted from the age of 16 are used for assessing eligibility for Disabled Students’ Allowances. If the diagnosis was before the age of 16, the student will require an updated diagnostic assessment, which specifically addresses the likely impact of the SpLD on study at a higher education level.

Disabled Students' Allowances

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed theimpact on thetake-up of Disabled Students' Allowance of the introduction of a £200 contribution for IT equipment.

viscount younger of leckie: The Department asked Student Finance England (SfE) in January 2017 to conduct a Customer Insight Survey to identify whether the introduction of the £200 contribution towards the cost of a computer was preventing students from ordering IT equipment if recommended. In March 2017, the results were included in an SfE report ‘Student Finance England Disabled Students’ Allowance Equipment Use and Improvements’. This report showed that 6% of respondents considered that the £200 contribution had prevented them from taking up the IT equipment recommendation.

Disabled Students' Allowances

lord addington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether students who take up their full entitlementto Disabled Students' Allowance have higher completion rates and final grades than those disabled students who do not.

viscount younger of leckie: There are no data available that differentiate completion and attainment rates between students in receipt of Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) who have taken up their full DSAs entitlement and those who have not. There are, however, completion and attainment data that are differentiated between disabled students in receipt of DSAs (regardless of level of entitlement take-up) and disabled students not in receipt of DSAs. The Higher Education Funding Council for England has published analysis of the non-continuation rates and degree outcomes for disabled students in receipt of DSA and disabled students who are not in receipt of DSA here: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/analysis/HEinEngland/students/disability/.A document containing the same information is also attached.



HL1933 attachment
(PDF Document, 70.38 KB)

Academies: Pay

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance is offered to multi-academy trusts on setting the pay levels of senior staff.

lord agnew of oulton: Academy trusts are free to set their own salaries for staff, and we would expect this to reflect the size and complexity of the trust. The 2017 Academies Financial Handbook, copy attached, emphasises that decisions about levels of executive pay must follow a robust evidence-based process and are reflective of the individual’s role and responsibilities. Trusts must disclose senior staff pay annually in their audited accounts. Disclosure must include:the number of employees earning more than £60,000, set out in £10,000 bands; andnames of all staff who are also trustees and the remuneration they received. For a multi-academy trust this is likely to include the chief executive’s salary, unless in the exceptional case that they have chosen not to be a trustee.A list of academy trusts paying staff more than £150,000 will be included in the 2015/16 Academy Sector Annual Report and Accounts (SARA), which is due to be published in October 2017.



Academies Financial Handbook 2017
(PDF Document, 1.35 MB)

T-levels

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measuresthey are takingto enable all young people to have the opportunity to choose from the full range of technical A levels.

lord agnew of oulton: The Technical and Further Education Act requires schools to give education and training providers the opportunity to talk directly to pupils in years 8-13 about the approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships that they offer.We intend this measure to come into force in January 2018. It will ensure that young people hear more about the alternatives to academic and school-based routes and are aware of all the opportunities to higher skills that offer access into the workplace.The Secretary of State has confirmed that we will publish a careers strategy shortly. The strategy will have a clear focus on social mobility and will include proposals to improve the quality and coverage of careers advice in schools and colleges and give people the information they need to access training throughout their working lives.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Department for Education intends to consult on whether to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic education compulsory in all schools; and if so, when.

lord agnew of oulton: The Children and Social Work Act 2017 places a duty on the Secretary of State for Education to make Relationships Education mandatory in primary schools and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) mandatory in secondary schools through regulations. The Act also provides powers for the Secretary of State to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), or elements therein, mandatory in all schools - in the future and subject to careful consideration. The Department will be conducting a thorough engagement process on the scope and content of Relationships Education, RSE and PSHE, involving a wide range of stakeholders. From this, we will develop the regulations and accompanying statutory guidance for Relationships Education, RSE and, should we decide to make it mandatory, PSHE. We will be making any regulations and statutory guidance subject to public consultation. We will set out shortly more details about the engagement process and the work to consider age appropriate subject content. We will ensure our work results in a clear understanding about the full set of knowledge that Relationships Education, RSE and PSHE should provide for young people to support them to be safe, healthy, happy and successful.

Education: Males

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures theyare takingto improve the education of white working class boys.

lord agnew of oulton: We set high expectations for what every young person can achieve, regardless of their background. Our ambitious programme of reform is already transforming the education landscape to enable our country to deliver the high quality education and training that every young person deserves. There are 1.8 million more children in schools rated good or outstanding than in 2010, and the Education Endowment Foundation is working in hundreds of schools to expand the evidence of what works best to accelerate progress. Our continued investment through the Pupil Premium, worth almost £2.5bn this year alone, provides additional funding to support schools in raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. White working class boys form the largest group of eligible pupils and so benefit significantly from this extra support. The most recent gap index analysis shows that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is narrowing at both age 11 and age 16; this means better prospects for disadvantaged pupils. We know, however, there is more to do. Our £72m Opportunity Areas programme will both create opportunities for young people in social mobility ‘coldspots’, and share effective practice across the country to ensure all young people get the opportunities they deserve.  The twelve areas represent a wide geographic spread; several, such as West Somerset, Blackpool and Scarborough, have high proportions of white pupils. Our reforms to technical education, as described in our Post-16 Skills Plan, will create a system of high quality employer led routes to skilled employment which will help young people, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to fulfil their potential. We are also working to widen access to Higher Education. The Higher Education and Research Act will require providers to publish application, drop out and attainment data broken down by gender, ethnicity and socio-economic background, shining a spotlight on those institutions that need to go further. The Director of Fair Access (DFA) for Higher Education enforces access agreements to promote disadvantaged student pathways into Higher Education and we recently asked him to focus universities on increasing the participation of white working class boys.

Children in Care

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey intend to bring into force sections 1 to 3 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 (corporate parenting and care leavers).

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to bring into force sections 4 to 7 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 (educational achievement).

lord agnew of oulton: The Government intends to bring sections 1 to 7 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 into force on 1 April 2018.

Children: Protection

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to bring into force Part 2, sections 12 to 31, of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 (safeguarding of children).

lord agnew of oulton: Since the Children and Social Work Act received Royal Assent in April 2017, the department has been discussing with government departments and others the drafting of the underpinning regulations and amendments to statutory guidance. We aim to consult on these this autumn. Subject to Parliamentary approval of the regulations following the consultation, sections 12 to 31 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 will be commenced accordingly.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to bring into force sections 34and 35 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 (relationships, sex, and PSHE).

lord agnew of oulton: We want to help all schools to deliver high-quality Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) so that all young people are equipped to have healthy and respectful relationships, and leave school with the knowledge to prepare them for adult life. As part of our next steps, the Department intends to conduct thorough and wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders which will help determine the content of the regulations and statutory guidance. This will cover subject content, school practice, quality of delivery and careful consideration of PSHE. We will ensure the subjects are carefully designed to safeguard and support pupils whilst being deliverable for schools.We are fully committed to this programme of work and will set out shortly more details about the engagement process, the timetable and the work to consider age appropriate subject content.This will result in draft regulations and guidance on which we will consult. Following consultation, the regulations will be laid in the House allowing for a full and considered debate. We are working towards schools teaching the new subjects from September 2019.

Social Work England

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to bring into force section 36 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017 (Social Work England).

lord agnew of oulton: The government remains committed to the establishment of a new bespoke regulator for the social work profession. We are developing the secondary legislation needed to enable Social Work England to operate as the regulator and are intending to consult on that in early 2018. Alongside this, we are working with the current regulator (the Health and Care Professions Council) and the social work profession to establish a timeline that will enable a safe transfer of regulatory functions to Social Work England.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Television Channels

lord campbell-savours: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether any assessment has been made of the advantages and disadvantages of establishing separate television channels throughout the day for both the House of Lords and the House of Commons; and if so, what would be the estimated cost of establishing and maintaining such a service for the House of Lords; and whether the documentary and explanatory broadcasts relating to Parliament as a whole could be shared by the two proposed channels.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.No assessment has been made of the advantages and disadvantages of establishing separate television channels throughout the day for both the House of Lords and the House of Commons. As is the case in a number of European countries, the UK Parliament does not own or fund a television channel dedicated to its own proceedings and as a result our knowledge of the costs involved is limited. The BBC Trust reported the total cost of the BBC Parliament channel, funded through the licence fee, to be £9.9m per annum. It is not anticipated that the House of Lords would establish or maintain such a service.All of the sittings of the Lords Chamber, Grand Committee and public committee meetings are available to the public as live streams online and are available to watch on demand at any time on the Parliamentary video service at www.parliamentlive.tv. The Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit also makes feeds of all House of Lords proceedings available to all regional, national and international broadcasters. The House of Lords net revenue spend for audio/video coverage and distribution of House of Lords proceedings and for its online video service is £1.41m.

Ministry of Defence

Gibraltar Defence Police Federation

baroness harris of richmond: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the recent report by the Ministry of Defence into the Gibraltar Police Federation.

earl howe: The findings and recommendations within the report were informed by extensive consultation across the Gibraltar Defence Police and touched upon sensitive personal information. Accordingly, it would be inappropriate to place a copy in the Library of the House. However, I forwarded a copy of the executive summary and recommendations of the report to the noble Baroness on 16 October 2017.

Boeing: Military Aircraft

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current position regarding Ministry of Defence aircraft contracts with Boeing following the United States Department of Commerce's decision to place import tariffs on Bombardier aircraft built in Northern Ireland.

earl howe: Boeing's position in the ongoing dispute with Bombardier is unjustified and not what we expect of a long-term partner to the UK. Whilst this will not affect our existing programmes, these actions could undermine our future relationship with Boeing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: National Policy Statements

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether anyNational Policy Statements are under discussion orare being preparedby the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and if so, which.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is currently developing a National Policy Statement (NPS) for water resources. The development of this NPS was announced in a written ministerial statement by Lord Gardiner in March of this year (HLWS532). The Government is also considering whether there has been a significant change in circumstances on the basis of which the NPS for waste water was decided, and whether this would have a material impact on the policy itself and therefore whether a review of the NPS is necessary.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Food

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total amount of food waste generated by Defra offices for each of the last five years.

lord gardiner of kimble: Food waste generated by Core Defra offices with on-site catering facilities for each of the last four years is shown in the table below: YearFood Waste (Kg)[1]201623,452201533,214201420,740201325,510TOTAL102,916 All food waste generated by Core Defra offices with on-site catering facilities is sent for anaerobic digestion thus generating energy from waste. Defra’s catering provider operates a number of initiatives to minimise food waste:implementing a food waste minimisation plan and reporting performance against the plan on a quarterly basisa rolling weekly target that no more than 4% of food purchased ends up as food wastean online planning and reporting system which monitors consumption and waste to inform menu planning and ordering to reduce food waste from production. [1] Data includes all compostable materials so can include items such as egg shells and banana skins.

Cereals: Pest Control

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to combat wheat bulb fly risk.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra does not fund any action specifically related to combating the risk of wheat bulb fly. However, Defra works closely with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), a non-Departmental public body, on targeted research and development in areas such as integrated pest management. The AHDB funds a wheat bulb fly survey[1] designed to aid decision making on whether a seed treatment is justified. The forecast risk for 2018 is low. Defra also undertakes research to increase the productivity, sustainability and resilience of certain arable and horticulture crops, including wheat, through our Genetic Improvement Networks.  [1] https://cereals.ahdb.org.uk/press/2017/october/04/lowest-wheat-bulb-fly-risk-since-monitoring-began.aspx

Flour: Additives

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what istheir estimate of theannual cost of fortifying flour which the law requires to be fortified with iron, calcium, thiamine and niacin; and whether any of that cost is borne by public funds.

lord gardiner of kimble: The continued need for the fortification of flour, was last reviewed in 2013. A 2012 Impact Assessment estimated the cost of fortification to be around £2.84 million per year based on the production of 4 million tonnes of flour for food production every year, or around 71p per tonne of flour. This is at most 1/3 of 1% of the flour itself and therefore an even smaller part of the cost of flour products such as bread and cakes. This cost is not borne by public funds.

Agricultural Products: Overseas Trade

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what understanding they have reached with the EU on sharing out the EU allowance for providing domestic support to agriculture, known as the Aggregate Measurement of Support.

lord gardiner of kimble: In preparation for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, the UK Government and the European Commission have set out a number of proposals for future global trading arrangements in a joint letter to World Trade Organization (WTO) members. The UK and EU Commission have proposed how they will separate the UK’s trading commitments to other WTO members from the EU’s. The UK’s current trading commitments to other WTO members, such as the tariffs it sets on goods they export to the UK, are applied through the EU’s schedules of commitments. As we leave the EU these will have to be set out separately for the UK. The proposals in the letter cover how the UK’s commitments, including on domestic agricultural support, should be calculated. The Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS) is the element of domestic support to agriculture which is treated as trade-distorting according to WTO rules, and is therefore subject to limits on what amount is allowable. The EU’s current commitment originated in 1994 reflecting how subsidies were used by the then EEC, including in the UK. As the EU has expanded, this limit has also expanded to have the commitments made by the new EU members added to it. As the UK leaves the EU, we are proposing to take the commitment relevant to the UK with us. The amount we have proposed to take is worked out by going back to original calculations made for the EEC in 1994 and establishing the portion relevant to the UK at the time. The UK and the EU are committed to engaging with the WTO Membership in a spirit of cooperation, inclusiveness and openness on these matters over the course of the coming weeks and months.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing: Construction

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the new houses built following the allocation of £2 billion for new council and housing association housing will be social housing and affordable housing respectively.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As set out at Autumn Statement 2016, the Affordable Homes Programme is fully flexible and sets no ringfences on particular forms of tenure. The precise tenure types and number of homes will depend on bids received. Funding for social rent will be focused on areas with acute affordability challenges, while funding Affordable Rent homes will continue to be available for most areas.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what will be the role of local authorities in securing the new houses to be built following the allocation of £2 billion for new council and housing association housing in areas where there has been large-scale stock transfer of former council housing.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government wants to see local authorities delivering new housing. The extra £2 billion funding and rent certainty we have just announced will further support councils and housing associations to build more affordable homes.Housing providers should work with the local authority to ensure that their schemes take account of the local affordable housing needs and through the National Planning Policy Framework, we expect local authorities to identify and plan to meet the market and affordable housing needs in their area.

Letting Agents: Regulation

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their proposals to regulate letting agents, announced by the Secretary ofState for Communities and Local Government on 1 October,will include management companies involved in the administration of long leases.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Secretary of State recently announced a package of measures better to protect tenants, including the requirement that all lettings agents will have to register with an appropriate organisation. This will give landlords and tenants confidence that their agent is meeting minimum standards.On 18 October, we published a call for evidence seeking views on the regulation of letting and managing agents in the private rented and leasehold sectors. The call for evidence closes on 29 November and we will develop proposals taking into account the evidence received.

Owner Occupation

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to take action in regard to leaseholders being charged escalating ground rents, and to ensure that freehold means holding propertyfree of unfair practices.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government’s consultation, Tackling Unfair Practices in the Leasehold Market, considered a number of issues within the leasehold sector including the sale of new built leasehold houses, and onerous ground rents. The consultation also sought views on what further areas of leasehold reform should be prioritised and why. The public consultation, which closed on 19 September, received around 6,000 replies. We are carefully analysing the responses, and will issue the Government response in due course.On the 18 October the Government announced a call for evidence on regulating letting agents and managing agents. This is to help improve the sector’s professionalism and address problems in the property management industry, drive down costs and protect consumers from the small minority of rogue agents. The call for evidence closes on 29 November 2017.

Conveyancing

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of commitments set out in the Housing White Paper and the Queen's Speech, when the call for evidence on the home moving process will be launched.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Call for Evidence on improving the home buying and selling process was published on 22 October.

Non-domestic Rates

baroness rebuck: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to extend the scheme providing a £1,000 discount to pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000; and, if so, whether this plan will cover bookshops.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government currently has no plans to extend the pubs' relief scheme. However, the Government has taken action to support small business. It put in place a £3.6 billion package of transitional relief and permanently doubled small business rate relief meaning 600,000 small businesses will pay no business rates at all.In addition, at the Spring Budget the Government announced £110 million support to help ratepayers losing small business rates relief and rural rate relief – this will ensure increases in their bills this year are capped at £600.It also included a £300 million discretionary relief fund for local authorities to design their own schemes. Subject to meeting the criteria for local discretionary schemes, bookshops may also be eligible for support from this fund.

Cabinet Office

Foreign Investment in UK: National Security

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK has an equivalent of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board; and if so, what it is.

lord young of cookham: As set out in the recently published ‘National Security and Infrastructure Investment Review’ Green Paper, the Government has established the ‘Investment Security Group’, a cross Government forum to bring together relevant departments and agencies to consider the implications of foreign investment for national security and ensure that Ministers are provided with timely advice on such investment.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of official figures published in August showing that the number of international students overstaying their visas was lower than previously estimated by the ONS, what changes have been made to the quarterly net migration statistics.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 115.23 KB)

Census

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to consider changes to the gender identity question in the 2021 Census.

lord young of cookham: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA response
(PDF Document, 113.13 KB)

Department for International Trade

Telecommunications: China

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of direct investment from China in the UK telecommunications sector in each of the last five years.

baroness fairhead: The figures below, from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) (published in December 2016), show the value of direct investment from China into the UK in the Information and Communications sector in each of the last five years that figures are available. YearValue of investment (£m)2011112012-201342014320153Source: Office for National Statistics- Indicates nil data

Energy: China

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of direct investment from China in the UK energy sector in each of the last five years.

baroness fairhead: According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures (published in December 2016) there is no recorded value of foreign direct investment from China in the UK energy sector.

Foreign Investment in UK

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many foreign direct investment projects there have been in the UKover the last five years.

baroness fairhead: Over the last five years the Department for International Trade (DIT) and its predecessor UK Trade and Investment, has recorded 9,798 foreign direct investment projects in the UK. In 2016/17 DIT registered the highest number of FDI projects coming into the UK it has ever recorded – 2,265 (up 2% on 2015/16).

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

European Parliament: Government Art Collection

baroness rawlings: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the British Art Collection in the European Parliament will be repatriated when theUK leaves the EU.

lord ashton of hyde: The Government Art Collection has not yet made a decision on the return of works; however it will consider these matters carefully in the context of preparations and negotiations for the UK's Exit from the EU.

Department of Health

Drugs: Side Effects

the countess of mar: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency accepts medical correspondence from GPs or consultants about a patient's medical condition with a Yellow Card report.

lord o'shaughnessy: Any healthcare professional, including general practitioners (GPs) and consultants, can report an Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) report concerning a patient via the Yellow Card Scheme (YCS). There are a number of different reporting options available to healthcare professionals, which include the Yellow Card website, Yellow Card app, paper forms that can be sent in via free post, and the Yellow Card free phone. Furthermore, in some clinical settings, integrated IT systems are in place for ADR reporting. This allows healthcare professionals to submit Yellow Cards electronically by populating information from the patient’s electronic health record, including relevant information about their medical condition. Patients are given the opportunity to provide contact details for their GP or consultant when reporting directly to the YCS. If they choose to provide these details, permission is requested to advise the healthcare professional of the ADR report and/or to follow up for additional information directly with the healthcare professional. If permission is granted, a copy of the report will be sent to the healthcare professional, who can then provide further information on the patient’s medical condition if they wish. When requesting follow-up, the healthcare professional will be prompted as to what information is of interest for the further assessment of the report. Where patients have not provided details or permission to contact a healthcare professional, any further information required concerning the ADR report will be requested from the patient.

Congenital Abnormalities: Health Education

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for introducing a Birth Defects Prevention Month and a Folic Acid Awareness Week similar to those in the United States, and of the potential effects of such a step on public health and the economy.

lord o'shaughnessy: No such assessment has been carried out.

Congenital Abnormalities

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each of the last three years, how many pregnancies affected by neural tube defects were second or subsequent pregnancies.

lord o'shaughnessy: The data is not held in the format requested.